Year: 2024

Interested in studying abroad? Your first step is to attend one of our information sessions. The final study abroad information session of the fall semester will be Friday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. For a full list of sessions, video options, or to register, visit our website.

Students can now begin planning for summer 2025 study-abroad programs, including travel seminars. Scholarships of up to $3,500 are available, based on financial need. For the Paraguay travel seminar, students may receive funding that covers nearly the entire cost, including flight, program fees and tuition. Visit our website for detailed information on all travel seminars and instructions on how to apply for scholarships. For questions, contact studyabroad@wichita.edu.

Stop by the study-abroad table in the RSC from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 for candy, freebies, and information on the opportunities available to Wichita State students. 

Join the Regional Institute on Aging (RIA) and the Human Factors Program on National Ageism Awareness Day at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 in 102 McKinley Hall for a networking event and presentation by Dr. Carryl Baldwin, Carl and Rozina Cassat Distinguished Professor of Aging, director of the Regional Institute on Aging and Human Factors program coordinator. Balwin will discuss how ageism negatively impacts all of us and steps one can take to avoid ageism in the design process.

Age-related changes occur across the lifespan. They are certainly not all negative, and they are far from universal. With increased age comes increased variability rendering age-related classifications often meaningless. Many older adults retain high levels of functioning at or above many of their younger counterparts. Wisdom and the ability to see the big picture – integrating and synthesizing across domains tends to increase with age. Discover methods and steps to capitalize on these strengths and avoid ageism in the design of programs and products as we celebrate Ageism Awareness Day.

The Student Government Association is looking for students to join the Finance Commission.

The Finance Commission serves to advise and assist the student body treasurer in the execution of the funding allocations for the Student Government Association. Service to this commission will require a weekly 1.5-hours meeting on Fridays and service to the Appropriations and Student Fees Hearing processes. Visit the link below to fill out an application or email sga@wichita.edu for more information.

The Philosophy Department will host Dr. Jason Matteson, a Kansas State University visiting professor of philosophy, when he presents “Choosing Well and Living Well: How Friendships Matter in Engineering Ethics.” Matteson’s presentation, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 in 218 McKinley Hall.

The Department of History’s fall 2024 lecture will feature Dr. Jason Lantzer, assistant director of the University Honors Program at Butler University, who will talk about his current book, “What we are fighting against: Dwight Eisenhower and the American discovery of the concentration camps.” Lantzer’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 in 200 Ahlberg Hall.

Thousands of students, alumni, families and community members filled campus with excitement and Shocker Pride during last week’s Shocktoberfest, which welcomed new traditions like the bonfire and Entrepreneur Market, as well as continued traditions like the parade and Shocker Madness.

Shocker royalty: Two students were named as Shocker royalty from a court of 12 candidates: Riley McMillan — junior biological sciences with a pre-dental track from Concordia, Kansas — said “I am forever grateful for my choice to be a part of Shocker Nation, and will cherish my time here for the rest of my life.” And Matthew Phan — a senior in mechanical engineering from Wichita — said “Community service is incredibly important for me, and I have done my best to advocate for students and people within the local community through volunteering and outreach events.”

Spirit awards: Teams competed throughout the week for points and a chance at $1,000. Our spirit competition winners:

• First place: WSU Cheer
• Second place: Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• Third place: Sigma Phi Epsilon

Among the many events were individual and group competitions.

Individual and department award recipients

• Banner competition: WSU Cheer
• Departmental door decorating competition: Office of Instructional Resources
• Pickleball tournament: men’s tennis coaches
• RSO Attendance Competition: Life of Christ student organization

Parade winners

• Wu’s Winner – Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Most Creative – Ulrich Museum of Art
• People’s Choice – WSU Tennis Teams

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Shocktoberfest a success. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

Dear faculty, staff and students –  

Today, a media article raised misrepresentations about the academic integrity of my 2004 dissertation, alleging that certain portions were plagiarized. These allegations are not only deeply personal, but also quite serious, and I want to address them with you directly. To be clear, I attributed and cited all sources in my dissertation, and I have complete confidence in the integrity and originality of my research. These are technical oversights where text was reused, and those attributions did not have quotation marks, and I am taking steps to make corrections.   

Four weeks ago, I became aware that there was a general concern surrounding my dissertation from two decades ago. The reporter refused to share specific allegations until publishing his article today. Given the seriousness of the allegations, I requested that the university conduct an inquiry to determine if a violation of policy had occurred.  

As required by policy, this inquiry was conducted by the Executive Vice President and Provost, in consultation with the university’s Research Officer. The inquiry was comprehensive and included both an internal review and an external independent review of my dissertation by a leading expert in plagiarism, who is unaffiliated with the university.  While all sources referenced in my dissertation were attributed and cited, there were instances, primarily in the literature review section, where this attribution should have included the use of quotation marks around reuse of text. I was advised that the amount of affected text consists of less than 5% of my entire dissertation. The facts led to a determination that these were technical omissions that did not rise to the level of misconduct, and the matter was closed. 

Again, I am taking steps to make these corrections. These technical oversights do not change the outcome or validity of my research.  

As I have shared with others in recent days, it is important to me to be transparent, open and honest, which is why I am sharing this message with you today. I trust that the entirety of my work and my words and actions over the years remain the true measure of my integrity.    

Sincerely, 

President Rick Muma  

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) at WSU wants students, faculty, staff and all of Shocker Nation to know that they understand the importance of voting in the upcoming election Nov. 5.

Four members of the Divine 9, the designation given to the nine NPHC fraternities and sororities, got together recently to deliver that message and demonstrate Greek unity. The four, representing the Delta Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., the Epsilon Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Gamma Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., put their message in writing. A member representing each organization held up a sign declaring their intention to go to the polls.

• The Alpha Phi Alpha representative held up a sign that read: “WSU Greeks.”
• The Kappa Alpha Psi representative’s sign read: “Pledge to Vote.”
• The Omega Psi Phi  representative’s sign read: “November.”
• The Phi Beta Sigma representative’s sign read: “Will you?”

The NPHC, not just at WSU but nationwide, is rallying alumni and collegiate chapters to participate in this important election. These chapters are actively engaging in voter registration drives, either independently or in collaboration with their respective schools, demonstrating the widespread impact of the NPHC’s efforts.

On Oct. 25, the National Pan-Hellenic Council at WSU launched a Stroll to the Polls event, transporting students and the community to the polls at the Wichita Courthouse downtown. Shocker Vote is currently helping students register on-campus to vote. The purpose of the voter registration is to provide a safe and brave space for campus community members to register to vote and learn more about the various pathways for voting in the upcoming election.